So Naïve
by Insanity under the moonlight
Summary: Smiling as if nothing is wrong, like everything will just fall into place after he brings sasuke back. Sakura's jealous of Naruto's carefree nature and just can't help but want to ruin his childlike innocence. Sakura learns the true meaning of ignorance is bliss.


Remember people this isn't sakura bashing.

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After another day of harsh training, team seven takes a moment to rest. Leaning on the 3 stumps in the middle of the training field, Sai, Sakura, and Naruto talked as they rested while their sensei merely stood a short distance away, reading a novel from his favorite series.

Clenching a fist in front of her, Sakura said "we're getting stronger. I can feel it every day!"

Giving her a bright smile in return, Naruto said "hell yeah! I can feel it too! We're just one step closer to dragging Sasuke's sorry ass back home! Man I can't wait to see the look on his face when he meets you Sai, and you better come up with a good nickname for him…at least on worse than mine…" Naruto grumbled at the end.

"Whatever you say dickless" Sai said with his fake smile plastered on his face.

Too used to it to get angry anymore, Naruto turned back to Sakura. "how do you think he would take to one of Sai's nicknames? I bet he would get pissed off at Sai more often than at me" he said with a chuckle.

"Naruto I already told you, you don't have to try to bring him home anymore…so just stop talking about him…" she said looking away to the side, causing the mood to dampen a bit.

With a smile Naruto said "but Sakura-chan I promised I would bring him back. And Uzumaki Naruto never goes back on his word-"

"Naruto don't be an idiot!" Sakura shouted, cutting off his earlier statement. Her yell also drew the attention of her sensei and other teammate, who could tell this wasn't like all the other times she called him an idiot.

It was like the breaking of a dam; once the words started flowing out of her mouth no one could stop them. "I'm sure you know well enough that when a missing-nin is caught, they're killed! I don't get how you can be so naïve to think that everyone will just welcome him back into Konoha with open arms and pretend he never left! Things will never go back to the way they were!"

"Sakura-chan it's not too late-" Naruto said trying to reason with her, only to be cut off once again.

"it's way too late! We can't go back in time and bring back all the people he's killed or undo all the damage he's done! Stop being blind and wake up! Better yet _grow up_! Maybe then you'll have a head on your shoulders and you can actually do something for him and everyone else!" as she got more worked up Sakura stood up as she yelled at him, wanting to physically look down on Naruto from where he sat.

No one knew what to say after Sakura's explosive speech that they never knew she even had in her. They all looked to Naruto expectantly, waiting for him to yell back at her, but were slightly unsettled by his calm domineer; his eyes were shadowed by his bangs so they couldn't see his facial expression well. Not looking up he said to her in a calm voice "wow Sakura…I didn't peg you as one of _those_ people"

Naruto looked her in the eye when he continued to speak and Sakura's gut twisted with guilt as she stared back at the disappointed and angry look on his face. "Everyone likes to say _'will you grow up already'_ but what the hell is growing up? Just because I'm a fun loving, cheerful person, does that make me immature and ignorant?" everyone's eyes widened and they stared at Naruto in shock.

The fact that he chose to calmly use his words instead of yelling and arguing back was a feat on its own, but the fact that he used rather intelligent ones for his assumedly small vocabulary at that was what really blew them off their feet.

"I may not be the most mature person around, but that doesn't mean you're better than me! I'm immature sometimes, fine! but I'll be as immature as I please, and you can stop harking on me for that. _'acting like a kid' _well you know what? I am a kid, and so are you! But if you want me to _'grow up'_ fine! I'll start systematically cutting people down as efficiently as possible, no questions asked or hesitation, like an emotionless killer, like a grown ninja should! Is that what you want me to do? Just kill sasuke on sight next time I see him?" as he spoke more anger seeped into his voice and before he knew what he was doing he was standing face to face with Sakura.

Sakura backed away from naruto, shocked from seeing this completely different side of him.

A side that frightened her.

"n-no, I just wanted you to think more logically and realistically…" she stuttered now feeling as if she was the one in the wrong.

"more realistic, or pessimistic because you want me to be as depressed as you are after Sasuke rejected you?" he said harshly, knowing he hit a sore spot.

Anger surged though Sakura after that comment, refueling her confidence and desire to win the argument. Meanwhile Kakashi and Sai stood there listening to the conversation frozen, as if under some bystander's spell, preventing either of them from interfering or even attempting to defuse the situation, and could only watch as their teammates had their long over-due argument over their opinion on Sasuke's fate, and followed along as it also went somewhere little more personal if that was even possible.

Sakura began to tear up, her voice shaking as she began to retaliate for Naruto's jab "i-I…it just makes me so mad how you make everything seem okay! Like how you make all the bad things that happen to others look like nothing! You think everything is so simple to fix! Like if you solve the immediate problem with your fists everything will work out after that! Your life is so simple with your one track mind, all you strive for is to become hokage and as long as you have that dream everything's fine. Sasuke was like my version of becoming hokage! I loved him-hell maybe I still do and I still won't love you even if you do somehow manage to bring him back and clear his name, I just want to forget about him, but all you do is keep bringing him up! it seems you still have this delusion that if you somehow manage to beat him up and bring him back here everything will turn out just fine! I only want you to see reality for what it is, life is harsh and unkind. Our childhood ended the second we accepted these forehead protectors! So stop fooling around!"

Naruto watched her wipe the tears from her face without pity, in fact for once he felt a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from watching her cry and knowing he was the one who caused it. He knew this was nearly lowering him to the villager's level, but at this point he didn't care after her below the belt comment on how she still loved Sasuke over him even after all the shit she says he's done.

Naruto began to laugh in her face "That's hilarious coming from the civilian born girl who still lives with her _parents_-key word there-who take care of the _'adult things'_ like paying bills, and who's dream is to become a housewife of an emo avenger missing-nin with a superiority complex the size of the hokage monument with an inferiority complex underneath it. I need a reality check? I think you need to do some self-reflection because you seem to think everything is about you. Has it ever occurred that I'm not doing all this just for you? I really care for Sasuke too y'know. He was like a brother to me but you don't see me crying and getting all depressed every time I hear his name, I'm trying to do something about it! Fighting to change his fate like I'm fighting to change mine! I'm fighting to reach my dreams. Clearly unlike you" he spat the last part out at her before he turned to walk away.

Without looking back he finally said before walking away "and also unlike you, my childhood ended before it even had the chance to begin. I've been places, seen things, and experienced things I hope you'll never have to. So don't speak like you know me, because even after knowing each other for years I can read you like a book while you can't even get past the front cover" and with that he left the remaining members of team seven in stunned silence.

* * *

I just feel like this kind of argument could happen in cannon: Sakura thought Naruto was trying so hard for her, doesn't really look into his character so much, getting Sasuke back is more of a personal vendetta for Naruto, he's good at reading people due to not really being able to interact with them as a child. I'm sure Kakashi would have stepped in though while Sai wouldn't really know what to do. Just makes sense in my head, even if you don't agree I hope you enjoyed reading it.


End file.
